Clinic with the Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet

When Cuban-born Dafnis Prieto arrived in New York, the New York Times compared him to an asteroid. Within a short period of time, his revolutionary drumming techniques had a powerful impact on both the Latin and jazz music scene, locally and internationally. A resident of New York since 1999, he has played in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Eddie Palmieri, Claudia Acuña, and Roy Hargrove, among others.

As a composer, Prieto has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and his own bands, including the distinctively different groups featured on his acclaimed recordings. The 2008 sextet album Taking the Soul for a Walk launched his own record label, Dafnison Music. His newest album is a live recording by his new Si o Si Quartet, to be released in October 2009.

Prieto has received commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, East Carolina University, Meet the Composer, and WNYC. His numerous awards include a Grammy Award nomination for Absolute Quintet as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2007. Since 2005, he has been a member of the NYU music faculty.